James Harrison
James Steven Harrison (born February 6, 1996) is an English professional footballer who currently plays as an attacking midfielder for Manchester United and the English national football team. He joined Derby County's youth team in 2004 aged 8, before moving to Manchester United's youth team in 2008. He joined United's first team in 2012 on a two-year contract on £2,500 a week. He spent the next two years on loan at Spanish side Atlético Madrid where he won the La Liga title in his second season where he played as a striker, he hit 52 goals and 40 assists. He achieved the most goals in La liga where he finished with 33 goals and also finished with 26 assists also the most in the league. He returned to United and signed a six-year contract where he became an instant hit with fans scoring on average every two games and getting an assist almost every game. In his debut season for United he netted 30 goals in the Premier League to win the Golden Boot. He won the award again with 28 goals but netted many more outside the Premier League to break the club record for most goals in a season with 47. In 2015 he was awarded the FIFA Ballon d'Or defeating Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the process, he was awarded the trophy again in 2016. Harrison stated in October 2015 he was willing to play as a versatile midfielder and attacker. He is also noted for his powerful shot, he hit the post with a shot registering 117 mph (188 km/h) whilst playing for England against San Marino in September 2015. Club Career 'Manchester United' After joining the club in 2008 from Derby County's youth team it was apparent almost instantly that he was one for the future. During his four years in the youth team, he formed an impecable partnership with Adnan Januzaj in midfield. In 2012 Sir Alex Ferguson decided to offer him a two year contract on £2,500 a week, but had stated that Harrison's needed first team experience and he joined Spanish side Atlético Madrid on loan and the Spanish side agreed to pay him €4.000 a week compared to around €3.200 that Man United were paying. 'Loan to Atlético Madrid' '2012–13 season' After agreed to join Atlético in early July, Harrison spent around three weeks learning Spanish before making his debut in a friendly on August 1 against Colombian side Atlético Nacional, where he scored a 37 yard screamer in the 66th minute. He also scored a brilliant flick from a corner in a 2–2 draw with Deportivo la Coruna in their final friendly. He made his full debut in a 1–1 draw with Levante in la liga where he assisted Arda Turan. His first taste of football against an english side came at the end of August in the UEFA Super Cup final against Chelsea, where he scored Atlético's fourth and assisted all the others in the 4–1 victory over Chelsea. He netted his first hat-trick in a 3–0 over Real Valladolid in February 2013. He was sent-off for the first time in his career in a 3–1 victory over Celta Vigo in May in which Harrison netted. He finished the season with 27 goals, with 18 of which coming in the league and he also managed to nab 36 assists of which 21 came in the league he also earned six in both the Copa del Rey and Europe. '2013–14 season' Following a successful season in 2012–13 it was highly expected that Harrison would return to Manchester United but David Moyes sent him out on loan again Atlético agreed to take him back on loan for the season but there was no recall clause in the contract agreed with United. He returned in the Supercopa de Espana loss against Barcelona they drew both legs 1–1 in Madrid and 0–0 at the Nou Camp but lost on away goals Harrison netted Atlético's goal. He returned to La Liga with a hat-trick against Sevilla in a 3–1 victory and another the next week in a 5–0 win against Rayo Vallecano. He consistantly netted until late November 2013 a 7–0 win over Getafe saw Harrison net four goals. Following this he netted two more hat-tricks they came against Rayo Vallecano and Real Sociedad in back-to-back games in January and February 2014. He started all 38 league games and netted 33 goals which saw him win the Pichichi Trophy for top goalscorer. He also grabbed 20 assists which was more than anyone else in the league. Harrison netted six goals in eight matches in the Copa Del Rey as Atlético reached the semi-finals before losing 5–0 on aggregate to Real Madrid. Harrison continued to score as Atlético continued to challenge for a first La Liga title since 1995–96. Despite both Barcelona and Real Madrid netting at least 100 goals each and Atlético just 77. They claimed the title on the final day of the season with a 1–1 draw with Barcelona, it was a rare season in which three teams went into they final game with a game at the title. Harrison netted the equaliser four minutes into the second half against Barcelona in the final game of the season to secure the title. Harrison played in eight of the ten matches in the Copa Del Rey, missing just the second leg of the Round of 32 and the first leg of the round of 16. He netted six goals in the tournament including a hat-trick against Sant Andreu in the Round of 32 first leg in a 4–0 win. His others came one in both legs of the quarter-final against Athletic Bilbao and in the round of 16 second leg. Harrison played in all thirteen games in the UEFA Champions League as Atlético reached the final, netting 12 goals only Cristiano Ronaldo who got seventeen bettered his total. Eight of his goals came in the six group matches, he scored one home and away against Zenit and Porto and one away to Rapid Wien but netted a hat-trick at home. He would score home and away in the round of 16 against AC Milan taking his tally to 10 goals in eight matches. His eleventh goal was in the second leg of the semi-final away to Chelsea to equalise 1–1 in the match and on aggregate, Atlético won the match 3–1. He also scored a 36th minute goal against city rivals Real Madrid in the final but Sergio Ramos scored a 93rd minute equaliser before losing 4–1 after extra-time following goals from Bale, Marcelo and a Ronaldo penalty. 'Return to Manchester United' '2014–15 season' Harrison returned to United for the 2014–15 season with the club under new management of Louis Van Gaal. Harrison would play in all Premier League games, netting 30 goals and taking the Golden Boot in the process. He netted his first goal of the season in the 4–0 home win over QPR. He continued to constantly score or grab an assist for the rest of the season and there was only one match all season in the league in which United score and Harrison didn't grab a goal or an assist. He grabbed a hat-trick in the Manchester Derby in April 2015 in a 4–2 victory, thus becoming the first player to score a hat-trick in the Manchester Derby since Andrei Kanchelskis in 1994 during a 5–0 win for United. In the end he scored or assisted 55 goals netting 30 and grabbing 25 assists. He played every minute as United finished 4th in the league. He netted his first FA Cup in the replay of the fourth round against Cambridge United during a 3–0 victory. '2015–16' Harrison revealed just before the start of the 2015–16 season that he had rejected an offer to join Real Madrid. Accoring to reports Real Madrid had seen a £60 million bid for the midfielder accepted but Harrison rejected an contract worth €300.000 a week to sign a £210,000 a week six-year contract at Man United. He stated in an interview after revealing this on twitter that he had no intentions to leave Old Trafford and that he plans to play the rest of his career in the Premier League. He began the season by scoring the only goal of the game in a 1–0 victory over Tottenham. He continued in the same frame against Aston Villa bagging the only goal in another 1–0 win. Harrison failed to find the net in a 0–0 draw with Newcastle United but he created a career high 11 chances in one match. He would return to goalscoring form putting United ahead in the 2–1 defeat to Swansea. He netted the final goals in the Champions League play-off round first and second legs in 3–1 and 4–0 wins, he first Champions League games and goals for United. Harrison continued to net goals throughout 2015 including two against Everton and Watford in the league, the goals weren't as forthcoming in the Champions League with three in six matches. Harrison was again nominated for the FIFA Ballon d'Or and on January 11, 2016 he won for the second year in a row, he celebrated by score a sublime breakaway goal to put United 2–0 up in their 3–3 draw with Newcastle the following day. At this point Harrison had been involved in 26 of United's 27 league goals, scoring seventeen and grabbing nine assists. In total Harrison has scored 24 of United's 45 goals in the 2015–16 season and has grabbed 14 assists. After drawing a minor blank for a couple of matches he netted his first hat-trick of the 2015–16 by netting all the United goals in a 3–1 FA Cup fourth round victory at Derby County. Harrison continued his goalscoring success despite minor blips throughout February and March and ended up netting 28 goals in the Premier League to win the Golden Boot yet again but mainly thanks to his 18 goals in the FA Cup and Europe he netted a total of 47 goals in all competitions. He broke the clubs record for most goals in a season thanks to his brace in the FA Cup final as United won their first trophy since Sir Alex Ferguson left in a 2–1 win over Crystal Palace. Career Statistics 'Club' 'International' 'International goals' Honours 'Club' 'Manchester United' *FA Cup (1): 2015–16 'Atlético Madrid' *La Liga (1): 2013–14 *Copa del Rey (1): 2012–13 *UEFA Super Cup (1): 2012 'Individual' *FIFA Ballon d'Or (2): 2014, 2015 *Premier League Golden Boot (2): 2014–15, 2015–16 *UEFA Team of the Year (3): 2013, 2014, 2015 *Premier League Player of the Month (3): November 2014, March 2015, December 2015 *PFA Players' Player of the Year (2): 2014–15, 2015–16 *PFA Young Player of the Year (2): 2014–15, 2015–16 *PFA Premier League Team of the Year (2): 2014–15, 2015–16 *FWA Football of the Year (1): 2015–16 *Premier League Goal of the Month (5): August 2014, February 2015, January 2016, March 2016, April 2016 *Premier League Goal of the Season (1): 2014–15 *Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year (1): 2015–16 *Bravo Award (2): 2013, 2015 *European Golden Shoe (1): 2013–14 *FIFPro XI (3): 2013, 2014, 2015 *''World Soccer ''World Player of the Year (2): 2014, 2015 *World Soccer Player of the Year (1): 2014 *La Liga Top scorer (1): 2013–14 *FIFA Puskás Award (2): 2013, 2014 *La Liga Player of the Month (3): December 2013, February 2014, April 2014 *LFP Best Midfielder (1): 2012–13 *LFP Breakthrough Player (1): 2012–13 *LFP Best Player (1): 2013–14 *LFP Best Forward (1): 2013–14 *LFP Best Goal (1): 2013–14 *ESPY Award Best International Athlete (2): 2014, 2015 *UEFA Best Player in Europe (1): 2013–14 *UEFA Champions League Team of the Year (1): 2013–14 *BBC Sports Personality of the Year (1): 2014 *Golden Boy (3): 2013, 2014, 2015 *''L'Equipe ''Champion of Champions (2): 2014, 2015 *''El Pais ''Best Player in Europe (2): 2014, 2015 Personal Life Harrison met American model Gigi Hadid in 2013 whilst in the USA on a training camp with Manchester United the pair began dating and in 2014 Hadid moved to Madrid to live with Harrison whilst he was on loan at Atlético Madrid before moving to Manchester later that year. The pair got engaged after 18 months of dating in December 2014 before marrying nearly a year later in November 2015.